Jabrayil welcomes back 30 families as dreams of return become reality Great Return continues

Another group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) has been relocated to the city of Jabrayil under the directive of President Ilham Aliyev.

The latest group departed from the Garadagh district of Baku, with 30 families (150 people) making the journey to their newly rebuilt homes in Jabrayil, Caliber.Az reports.

Including this group, a total of 163 families (583 individuals) have now been provided with permanent housing in the city.

“I was only five years old when we left Jabrayil,” recalled Nargiz Gurbanova, a returning IDP, speaking to reporters. “We left barefoot and with uncovered heads, leaving behind everything we knew. Today, our most cherished dream is coming true.”

Gurbanova also shared memories of the difficulties her family endured in Khirdalan, where they temporarily resettled. “Returning to Jabrayil, to our homeland, was our greatest hope. Today, it has become a reality. We are forever grateful to our Supreme Commander-in-Chief and our victorious army for this opportunity. May God bless the souls of our fallen heroes and grant health to our veterans,” she said.

Since 2020, Azerbaijan’s government has undertaken extensive infrastructure reconstruction in Karabakh, building roads, schools, and healthcare facilities to enable the return of IDPs. The "Great Return" began in 2022, following the liberation of Azerbaijani lands. After successful counter-terrorism measures in September 2023, full sovereignty was ensured in every part of Karabakh, paving the way for an expanded resettlement process.

The first phase of the "Great Return" aims to resettle 140,000 people across 100 reconstructed settlements in Karabakh and East Zangezur by the end of 2026. The second phase, spanning from 2026 to 2040, will complete the resettlement of all liberated territories.

To date, 2,235 families — totalling 8,543 people — have returned to places like Aghali village in Zangilan, Talish in Aghdara, Fuzuli, Lachin, Zabukh, Sus, Shusha, Khojaly, and Jabrayil. Of these, 137 families (474 people) are former IDPs who had previously lived in accommodations belonging to others.

By Tamilla Hasanova